


Penelope (Crossover Prequel)

by BadWolfeRose



Series: Stranger Things/Doctor Who Crossover AU [1]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005), Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Headcanons come into play, Just an angsty oneshot, No ST spoilers tho, That turned into a prequel, Unless knowing it's set in the 80s counts as a spoiler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 06:58:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14785667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolfeRose/pseuds/BadWolfeRose
Summary: The Doctor didn't expect to see her. Especially not in Victorian London, having survived the Time War. Somehow, by some miracle, his mother was alive. And seeing her again brings up old wounds- though it gives them a chance to finally heal. And her reappearance may well have (inadvertently) led to his reunion with a certain pink and yellow girl. (Sort of a prequel to my Stranger Things crossover fics)





	Penelope (Crossover Prequel)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this note is gonna be a long one. First off, as most of you are aware, I did not invent the character Penelope Gate or her husband Ulysses; they're mentioned in some of the Doctor Who novels. (Although I don't recall which ones.) What I did invent were some liberties I took. For example, how old Penelope was in X year and the time period she was originally from. I never actually read the novels, so I know bits and pieces about her, like her physical description and parts of her personality, but not much else. And I know pretty much nothing about her husband. (I would've probably taken these liberties anyway even if I did know, FYI.) So anything being similar to their canon backstory is coincidental.  
> Second, it doesn't hint at being a prequel to my Stranger Things crossover fics until the very end. I wrote this with the intention of it being a kinda sad one-off, but it morphed into a sort of prequel. However, there are really no spoilers to Stranger Things in this. So if you haven't seen Stranger Things and just want to read a fic about these guys, don't worry about spoilers. Onward!

The Doctor inhaled sharply as he studied the woman before him. Of course, he knew her quite well, although he hadn't expected to cross paths with her in London in 1885. Everything about her was familiar- the red hair that hung wild to her waist, wise eyes colored clear teal blue. The round pale pink spectacles on her nose. She, Penelope Gate- or Penny, to her friends and family- was a force to be reckoned with. She was kind yet fierce, gentle but sharp-tongued.

And she was also his mother.

Penelope smiled warmly at him, reaching out to take his hand. "Hello, Theta," she murmured. "I'm glad to see that you're alright."

"How is this possible?" the Doctor blurted out. "You're dead. You died with the rest of the Time Lords in the War."

Penelope's smile became a grin. "You're forgetting, Theta, that I am not a Time Lord- or Lady, rather. I am human. Of course, humans are more vulnerable to injury and death, but you  _know_  me. It takes more than a war to finish me off. I've been here for eighty years."

He started stammering at that, looking away from her. "B-But...Gallifrey burned! Everyone on the planet died! And based on how long you've been here, even if you somehow survived that, you should've died of old age by now! You were protected on Gallifrey because of the lifespan extension the transduction barrier granted her residents. But now..." the Doctor sighed, forcing himself to meet her gaze. "This is impossible.  _You're_  impossible."

Penelope sighed, her expression becoming similar to his own.  _He's so like his father_ , she thought.  _Always believing he knows what's possible and what isn't_.

After a long pause, she finally explained, "I underwent certain...alterations to prevent aging, for personal reasons. And not long after that, I was sent here when it became clear Gallifrey would burn."

"Sent here?" he said haltingly. "By whom? And...how?"

"Your father, Theta," she murmured, smiling sadly. "Who else? Ulysses teleported me here against my will. I had no way to get back, either," she almost spat, but it wasn't in anger. Her voice revealed a feeling the Doctor knew all too well- grief. It was no surprise, either- she had loved his father deeply, and he had felt the same for her.

Penelope sniffed, glancing at the floor. She made herself look back up at the Doctor before speaking again, however. "I still remember the last thing he said to me," she murmured. "Told me to take care of myself, and you. Your brother had already died at that point. But...he knew you'd survive the War, and you did." She drew in a shuddering breath. "I begged him not to send me away. I didn't want to leave him, I  _couldn't_. And that's when he said, 'You'll forgive me for this, I promise.' And..." her voice broke. However, she managed to choke out, "I have."

With that, she began to sob as tears fell from her eyes, and the Doctor's hearts broke for her. He laid a hand on her shoulder, squarely meeting her gaze. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I am so, so sorry."

Before he could do anything, she'd wrapped her arms around him, her head on his shoulder. "Theta...whatever are you apologizing for?" she whispered. "I've found you. You, the only living Time Lord. My  _son_. Do you have  _any idea_  how much that  _means_  to me? How much...how much I love you?"

He closed his eyes, overwhelmed by guilt and grief- not only for her, but for his people and...his father, too. He hadn't thought about his father in a long while, but seeing Penelope made him realize just how much he'd missed his family. And all of them- minus his mother- were gone due to his actions.

"I've done terrible things," he replied, his voice shaking. "If you knew...if you knew  _half_  of what I did..." He stopped himself, knowing that he too would give way to tears if he finished that sentence.

"Gallifrey burned because of a decision I made. It' s my fault! And there are so many other things that happened..." The Doctor thought back to nearly everyone he'd lost- his father, his brother. Susan. Jamie and Zoe. Jo. Sarah Jane Smith. Adric. Nyssa. Tegan and Turlough. Peri. Dorothy. Grace. Charley. Martha Jones. Donna Noble.  _Rose_...his Rose.

The thought of his pink and yellow girl was enough to cause a sob to escape. But it also gave him the strength he needed to finish his sentence- something he still regretted not doing with Rose all those years ago. This was different, but it still needed to be said. "If you knew half of the things I've done...you wouldn't be saying you loved me."

Penelope firmly shook her head, pulling away from him. "That's  _not_  true, Theta," she rasped, her voice thick with emotion. Wiping at her eyes, she murmured, "And do you know  _why_  it's not?"

The Doctor sighed. "No. I really, really don't."

She smiled at him, sniffling slightly. "Because love shouldn't be- and most of the time, isn't- conditional. Especially not in this case."

Reaching out, she placed her palm on his left cheek. He flinched ever so slightly at the touch, but didn't pull away- no one had been this gentle with him in a long time. "Theta..." she shook her head again, albeit fondly. "I love you, and I always will. Because I'll  _always_  be your mother. And...you'll always be my son."

That was enough for the tears to finally spill over. Within an instant, she'd wrapped her arms around him again, though she said nothing.

The Doctor hadn't cried in a very long time- and he probably wouldn't do it again for a very long time, either. But the kindness his mother had shown him finally allowed him to properly grieve the loss of his people, his family, and many others.

"Thank you, Mother," he whispered, his voice barely audible over his sobs. "I love you."

When he had calmed down enough, he pulled away from her. Which was when she smiled and replied, "You're welcome."

He grinned- the relief that came with letting out his emotions caused his usual manic mood to return. "So! I don't know about you, but I am feeling  _much_  better."

Penelope nodded. "So am I."

"Well, that's good. Now, I believe there are places to go and people to see," he said excitedly, smirking. "Care to join me?"

She laughed. "You sound just like your father." Clearing her throat, Penelope nodded again. "Alright then. I'd like that. Besides, I haven't seen the Old Girl since the days when your  _father_  used to fly her."

"And I'm sure she'll be glad to see you."

* * *

The Doctor had been right about that- the TARDIS had greeted her warmly. Which was why she was currently wandering around the console room, taking in all the changes to the interior. "Beautiful," she breathed, eyeing the main console. "And yet disorganized." After making that statement, Penelope smirked. "Ulysses would've loved it."

However, a sad look crept into her eyes a moment later, and the Doctor sighed. "I  _am_  very sorry about what happened, you know," he murmured.

His mother shook her head. "I don't blame you, Theta. Had Gallifrey not been destroyed...there's no telling what the war would've turned into. Yes, the death of your father was and still is...painful, but...everyone dies someday. Even those who can regenerate."

"I still feel guilty, though. Like there was something I could've done to prevent everything."

She glanced at the floor and sighed. "Of course you do- that's a natural part of grief. Not only that, but...as much as you take after your father, you're a lot like me, too. I felt nearly the same kind of guilt after  _my_  father died."

Then Penelope straightened and turned to meet his gaze. "But there's plenty of time to talk about that later. Unless...you'd rather talk about it now?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm alright. But thank you."

Suddenly, the Doctor grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "I nearly forgot to mention it- Amy and Rory! The Ponds, I call them. They're a couple, been traveling with me for a while. Not the first who have, and probably not the last. They aren't here right now, seeing as they just got married. But I wanted to warn you in advance that we'd have to go and get them at some point," he said rapidly.

Penelope chuckled. "They sound nice. I wonder if them finding out you have a human mother would-"

"-Come as a bit of a shock?" the Doctor finished for her. "Probably, but that's the least of my worries. Amy would be  _more_  shocked to discover that my mother- like her- is a ginger," he joked.

Penelope laughed fully then, and the Doctor grinned. Once she had stopped laughing and drawn in a breath, he continued. "But, we have time. I could...take you somewhere, if you like. Anywhere at all. I expect you're a bit tired of living in Victorian London."

She smiled and nodded. "I never understood why people romanticized this era. Besides, just to give you an idea...when I met your father at age twenty-one, it was  _1986_. This is...much farther back than what I'm used to."

The Doctor chuckled. "That is putting it mildly. Now...where to first, Mum?" he said cheerfully. "I could take you back to your own time for a visit- 2012, correct? Or we could visit the 51st century- I have an old friend from there. Although, considering his flirtatious nature, that  _might_  be a bad idea. Or-"

His mother's laughter cut him off. "Take a breath, Theta. Honestly." She sighed. "Right now, all I really want to do is get the TARDIS back into the Time Vortex so I can get some rest. Alright?"

"Of course. Sorry, hadn't thought of that. I'll just-"

Without another word, he began running in circles around the console, flipping levers and pressing buttons. Ordinarily, Penelope would have helped, but she stood back and watched due to how tired she was. And watching one person try to pilot a ship meant to be flown by six people was always entertaining.

* * *

The Doctor spent about a week in the Time Vortex with his mother, before Amy and Rory called to let him know they were ready to go back to traveling with him.

Meeting his mother did indeed come as a bit of a shock to Amy and Rory, but they quickly got over it due to her friendly manner.

Much to the Doctor's surprise, though, Penelope requested that he take her back to her own time- he had been correct in saying that the last Earth year she had lived in linearly was 2012. However, she also made him promise to come back and visit- she'd let him know when.

Which is why he felt no sadness in watching his mother fade into a crowded London street, though his companions were curious about his feelings.

"You just...let her go," Rory said slowly. "That wasn't...difficult for you?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, Rory. It wasn't. See, it wasn't goodbye. I'll see her again. Although..." he sighed. "She  _is_  about the only family I have, so I can understand why you would ask that."

Amy shook her head at him, smiling. "No, Doctor," she murmured. "Your mother isn't the only family you've got."

He grinned widely at her. "Well, I'm genuinely touched, Pond," he teased. "Thanks."

* * *

When they were all safely back in the TARDIS, the Doctor asked them where they would like to go next.

"Somewhere in the 1980s," Amy replied, without hesitation. "And no, it's not just because your mum was originally from there. Maybe a  _little_  bit, but I've been wanting to go for a while. Nostalgia and all that. Been meaning to ask about it. It's mostly a coincidence, I swear. Although your mum being from there reminded me to ask you."

The Doctor chuckled. "I believe you. Now, where in the 1980s would you like to go?"

"How about a small town? I lived in one as a kid before we moved to England. But it doesn't have to be in Scotland or England...doesn't even have to be in Europe. Could be any small town, any country."

The Doctor nodded. "Alright. We can do that. Nostalgia it is!"

Amy and Rory started laughing as the Doctor set about piloting the TARDIS.

When she landed, the Doctor read their coordinates on the computer screen. "November 10th, 1983. Hawkins...Indiana? Huh. That's an odd choice."

Amy grinned in excitement. "So we're in America, then. Cool! This should be interesting."

"Hopefully trouble-free," Rory added.

"Ah, don't say that, you'll jinx it!" Amy snapped.

Whether Rory did "jinx it" or not, the Doctor and his companions were soon drawn into an unforgettable adventure- one that reunited the Doctor with his Bad Wolf; and saved the life of a very peculiar girl.


End file.
